APPENDIX. 



465 



gave a loose to his infernal rage : at every halt his army made in their 

 return to Mendoza, parties of prisoners were brought out and shot ; for 

 which cruelty he accounted to the provinces, by saying that all those soldiers 

 had fallen on the field of battle fighting : he did us much more honour 

 than we merited, in order to add to his own, and cover his wanton barbarity. 



It would be doing an injustice to Albin Gutierres to neglect noticing his 

 family, and the earlier occupations of his youth, &c. Like most of the 

 people in power in America, he started up from the dregs of society. The 

 most that is known of him is, that his first employment in active life was that 

 of picador ; i. e. a person whose duty it is to sit in front of a cart with a long 

 cane or pole, pointed with a nail or spike, in order to prevent the bullocks 

 from going to sleep, and make them quicken their pace occasionally. The 

 carts in which he served as peon were employed in the commerce between 

 Buenos Ayres and Mendoza ; hence he imbibed his love for traffic. His 

 first promotion was from picador to the rank of arriero, or muleteer, in the 

 wine trade. He, with his savings, purchased a mule ; and was allowed by his 

 employers to take with him in every journey to Buenos Ayres one cargo or 

 two barrels of wine, there to sell for his account and risk ; the return of which 

 he always employed in buying up something proper for the market of Men- 

 doza. Having saved some money in this trade, he left it off, and became 

 pulpero, or wine retailer ; in which he was so fortunate as to amass a consider- 

 able quantity of money, and soon established himself as wine-merchant on 

 a pretty large scale. As he was acquainted with every branch of the busi- 

 ness, from gathering the grapes to driving the mules with the produce, and 

 was uncommonly industrious, it is not surprising that in a few years he 

 became one of the richest men in Mendoza. When San Martin was captain- 

 general of the province of Aryo, he conferred on him the rank of colonel of 

 militia for some services which are not ascertained. 



Such was the general who had the credit of humbling us, after our having 

 defeated the best and bravest generals of the country ! He was an arrant 

 coward, and as cruel as he was timid. But he was successful, and crowned 

 with honours. 



As to Carrera, he showed the greatest resignation to his fate, from the 

 moment he was made prisoner ; he was aware that his longest respite would 

 not exceed four or five days, yet he conversed, ate, drank, and slept, as if 

 nothing were to happen to him. 



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